


What happens in the forest stays in the forest

by EndlessStairway



Series: Rules are made to be broken [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Assumptions, Bottom Loki (Marvel), Chastity Device, Dom Tony Stark, Dom/sub Play, Double Anal Penetration, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, Hurt feelings, Light Bondage, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, Orgasm Denial, Outdoor Sex, Polyamory Negotiations, Pony Play, Sub Loki (Marvel), loving bdsm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:01:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28965759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndlessStairway/pseuds/EndlessStairway
Summary: “We’re patient," Tarrin said, still making the figure eight pattern with his whip. “Sometimes our mount doesn’t understand what he needs to do.”“I understand perfectly well,” Loki snapped.As soon as he spoke, Loki knew it was a mistake because Tony had been waiting for it. It was the work of a moment before Loki had the bit in his teeth.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Rules are made to be broken [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2124546
Comments: 33
Kudos: 95





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you have not read "Rules are made to be broken" you might want to read that first. There's not really any plot, though, so it's not essential. Enjoy!

“Take off your jacket.”

Tony muttered the command under his breath, the words almost hidden under the clatter of hooves and the bustle of the stableyard. Loki heard it, though. Tony saw his back stiffen in his saddle and the almost imperceptible nod of his head. He heard, and he would obey.

Tony was almost sad to see the glorious emerald green riding jacket peel off Loki’s shoulders. The loss was more than made up for by the sight of Loki obeying Tony's orders to undress in public, even if it was only his jacket. Loki still had his sleeveless over-tunic, his high-necked shirt of heavy black silk, his undershirt, and however many other under-layers he wore. That made little difference. Loki was never in the common areas of the palace without every layer on. The sight of the prince without his jacket was drawing attention, just as Tony expected. He wanted all eyes on Loki. They could covet him all they wanted, but he belonged to Tony, mind, body, and soul.

Loki had decided they should go for a few days trip to the royal forest, ostensibly to gather ingredients for a potion he was making. He had requested Tarrin join them to help manage their horses, and Tarrin had told the stablemaster that he did not mind going. His friends in the stables grumbled that he was in for an easy few days without his regular duties, and were jealous of his luck in being picked for the assignment. Tarrin kept his smile to himself and told them that it was bound to be dull, and he would be glad to return by the end of the week.

Mindful of the eyes on them, and determined to play his part, Tarrin leaned over from his horse to take the prince’s jacket. He folded it carefully in the saddlebag that hung next to his crossbow. He doubted they would have time or inclination for hunting, but he took the bow for the look of it.

They were traveling light - a mere show of bags and supplies on their horses. Loki had everything they would need in his pocket dimension. Everything, except his jacket.

Loki shifted in his saddle. Tarrin had been nothing but courteous when he packed the jacket for him, but Loki knew very well that he would not give it back until Tony told him to. It was just a jacket. Loki was not showing any more skin that he had been before, but still his shoulder blades prickled. He knew exactly why Tony had told him to take it off. He could feel everyone in the yard watching him. In a few minutes, he was going to ride through the city and out the main gates with Tony and Tarrin riding respectfully behind him. Without his jacket he felt as though he would be doing it completely naked. At least his beloved mortal had not put a plug in him this time, although the cursed cage remained as firmly locked around his cock as ever.

This was their second trip to Asgard this year. Odin had approved of Loki spending more time there, even if he did bring his little mortal pet with him. Frigga was overjoyed, convinced that Loki was on the cusp of returning to his rightful place on Asgard. Loki was still working on his attempt to secure a golden apple for Tony, but now they had more reason to spend time here, and the time they did spend was far more enjoyable.

 _My harem_ , Loki thought wryly to himself, glancing over his shoulder at Tony and Tarrin as they set out. Loki did not mind admitting that Tony’s instincts had been completely right about Tarrin. He was cheerful, charming and respectful, he could ride and shoot as though he was born to it, and when they were alone he found his place with ease. He followed Tony’s lead and relished every opportunity to put Loki on his hands and knees and ride him as capably as he rode his horse. Tarrin also had an expert hand with both a riding crop and a lunge whip, which Loki had discovered to his dismay and Tony's delight.

Loki was sure the two of them had packed more than he knew about. They had most likely concocted some scheme between them which would be enacted on him as soon as they were out of sight in the forest.

It would take some time to get there though. To avoid Heimdall’s eye and Odin’s curiosity they maintained their usual performance as they rode through the city and out through the country. Loki led with Tony at his shoulder, Tarrin following behind as a good servant should. Loki tried to forget his lack of clothing, but Tony's rust-red jacket with gold-threaded embroidery made the contrast linger in his mind. He tried to shake it off. Thor was half-dressed in public all the time, sometimes less than half, and he never suffered for it. It was not Loki’s preference to do as his brother did, but it _was_ his preference to do what Tony told him to do, so he kept his back straight and faced forward as they rode.

They slowed as they entered the forest, the cool shade of the towering lowland ash trees falling over them. They rode in single file, Loki still in the lead, as he knew where they were headed. The ash forest was calm and peaceful. The broad trucks of the trees were widely spaced, their branches forming a rustling canopy overhead. It was like riding in a temple, and the prickling sense of constant surveillance began to fall away. The trees worked their own protective magic.

When they reached the cozy field by the mirror-still lake, Tony and Loki strolled the perimeter while Tarrin tended to their horses. Tony talked as they walked, just to keep up appearances, but Loki did not reply. He was casting complex charms every dozen paces, creating a powerful spell-net around the surrounding area. It would block scrying, spying or accidental discovery. If anyone was looking for their group, they would not be able to find them.

Tarrin had the horses picketed at the edge of the field on long lines, and he had also set up the camp by the time Tony and Loki returned. There was a canopied area for sleeping with furs, blankets and pillows spread the ground. Firewood was gathered and stacked, ready for the evening.

If Loki did not suspect there would be more coming, he honestly would have been content to enjoy a hunting trip with these two companions. Getting away from the palace was bliss in itself, and they could fish or hunt small game, sit by a fire and tell stories, watch the stars and the aurora dance over their heads. Loki's footsteps slowed as he wondered if he had ever had such a trip, just with friends of his own. He discounted the many occasions he had traveled with his brother's friends, or with companions of obligation or those he had to watch his tongue around, and found he could not recall anything more than that.

Loki’s melancholy thoughts stuttered out of his head when he saw Tarrin’s long-handled lunge whip leaning casually against a tree. He had brought supplies for their horses, as it was his role to do, and the whip did not look out of place at all next to the brushes, feed bags and tack piled up there.

Tony saw him looking in that direction and kept his face straight with a great force of will. They had all agreed that they would observe their public performance, even when they were deep in the forest, until Loki confirmed it was safe.

Loki could not get the words out of his mouth fast enough.

“It is done, we are concealed."

Without anyone moving a single muscle, the dynamic of their party changed. Like gravity shifting to a new focus, Tony took control.

“Tarrin’s going to teach me to lunge,” he announced.

Loki was confused. If Tony wanted lessons in horsemanship there was no need to wait until they were so far in the forest. He could do that any time he wanted to.

“ _You_ don’t lunge,” Tarrin explained, strolling over to stand by Loki’s other side. “Your _mount_ lunges.”

They both looked at Loki, who took an involuntary half-step backward, his throat suddenly dry.

“What do you mean?”

Loki asked the question even thought it was perfectly obvious what they meant. He knew what they were going to do to him, but he wanted to hear it.

Tony smiled at him, the joyful smile that Loki loved, his eyes bright and sparkling with anticipation. He pulled Loki closed and kissed him full on the mouth. This was not the kind of kiss he gave in public, but the kind he gave in private, demanding and controlling, taking Loki's mouth for himself as a promise of what was coming. Loki melted into it, and by the time he had his breath back from that kiss, Tarrin was behind him, hands firmly on his shoulders, holding him in place.

“I'm going to teach Tony to walk you on the lunge-line, my prince.”

Loki licked his lips.

“You are, are you?”

Loki did his best to maintain his princely poise but it was slipping away from him like sand through his fingers. Tony would make him do it, that was the flat truth. It was only Loki's choice if he would do it willingly, or if his darling concubines would break him to it like a rebellious colt broken to the saddle. He could hardly decide which he would prefer, and in the end he did not have to decide because Tony and Tarrin were ready. While Loki stood with his head spinning, Tony slipped the under-tunic off his shoulders, leaving him in his black silk shirt, pale riding pants and tall boots. They did not undress him further - they did not give him time to get his wits about him. Tarrin had a bundle of straps in his hand, the leather dyed dark green.

The two men wrapped Loki’s ribs, chest and shoulders in the web-like harness. Behind Loki's back, Tarrin fastened the buckles until the harness was tight, but not uncomfortable. It fit perfectly, as all the leatherwork Tarrin made for Loki did. Tony kissed him again and bent first one then the other arm up behind his back. He held him in place while Tarrin fastened more straps and buckles, pinning his arms behind his back, wrist to elbow.

As a final touch, Tarrin swept Loki's hair up into a high ponytail. It was long enough to tickle the back on his neck, cascading through Tarrin's fingers like heavy water.

"Good," Tony breathed, holding Loki's face, kissing him over and over. "You're being so good for us, Loki. We're going to take care of you."

Tarrin kissed Loki's neck from behind. Both of them were warm and affectionate, enjoying their game, and, if the hardening length Loki could feel pressed against his ass was any indication, they were enjoying the anticipation of what would happen later.

“Very well, I suppose,” Loki sighed, as though he had any choice in the matter.

Tony grinned at him, kissed up his jaw and down his neck, sending shivers down his spine. Tarrin hooked his fingers in the straps of the harness and tugged, testing the harness for strength and security. Loki knew it would hold, if Tarrin had made it. He had been making and repairing tack for horses since he was a boy and his work was strong as well as elegant.

Loki shifted his shoulders, getting comfortable in the harness, which he would no doubt be wearing for a long time that day. His arms were pinned behind him, but they were comfortably supported. His shoulders would ache by the time he was released, but if he behaved himself maybe his two lovers would give him a rubdown when they were done with him. The thought brought a smirk to his face, and Loki tossed his head, letting his high ponytail swing and brush his shoulders.

“Well, come on then,” he said with an impatient stamp of his booted foot. “I don’t have all day.”

“Yeah, you do, actually,” Tony replied with a quick smack to his thigh.

Tarrin laughed and went to his supplies, returning with the lunge whip and a long line of woven rope.

Loki stiffened very slightly at the sight of the rope, but he need not have worried. Loki had only had to tell him about Odin's hideous magic-suppressing collar once - Tony had never forgotten and he never put anything around Loki's neck.

The harness Loki wore had a central ring over his breastbone, and Tarrin looped the line though there, tying it off with a flat knot that didn’t pull or rub. They left him where he stood and backed off to the center of the clearing. Tarrin flicked the whip and cracked it in the air, smiling as Loki flinched minutely.

Tarrin turned to Tony, the lesson beginning. “We never use the whip to punish, only to encourage.”

He swooshed the long handled whip, making a figure-eight pattern in the air. The stablehands typically tied a red string to the end of their whips, making the end visible to the horses. Today, Tarrin had replaced his with green. Loki felt the wind of the whip tickle the back of his neck, but he did not move. He had seen Tarrin flick pebbles one by one off the rail of the training pen with the lunge whip. He was a master with it. He would put the tip of the whip exactly where he wanted, and he would not accidentally hit Loki with it. He might _deliberately_ hit him, of course, but that was different.

Loki and Tony had started taking an interest in horses since their first encounter with Tarrin. Luckily, it was not out of character for Loki - he had spent a lot of time in the stables when he was younger. He had found it a peaceful haven where he could while away hours in meditative thought while he brushed the horses. The stablemaster - a cantankerous old man who cared nothing at all about what happened beyond his stable yard - remembered Loki as a dreamy youth who loved animals. His good word was all it took to be welcomed back there.

Naturally, many of their visits involved Loki being delivered to a quiet stall to be bent over and serviced by Tarrin, but that was not their only reason for going. Sometimes, he and Tony would lean on the railings and watch the stablehands exercise the horses. It was pleasant to pass the time there, talking quietly and taking in the rhythm of the hooves, the smell of fresh hay, the calm and companionable atmosphere. By coincidence, most often they did this when Tarrin was the one working in the pen. Loki had seen him do this often enough to know that he was good at it.

The whip circled smoothly in the air, and Loki waited.

“We use the whip to create motion,” Tarrin explained. He pointed forward with the hand that held the lead line and swirled the whip behind Loki. The motion of the air encouraged him to move. The whip closed off the space behind him, the space before him was open, and Tarrin pointed the way. Loki took a step forward, almost involuntarily, and then stopped himself. He was not so easily manipulated as a beast. Tony was watching him, his eyes intent. Loki wanted to walk. He wanted to be good.

“We’re patient,” Tarrin said, his voice taking on a rhythmic quality that Loki recognized. He heard that tone spoken over his back when Tarrin rode him. The sensory memory washed over him, and sweat prickled under his clothes.

“We’re patient, and we wait for our mount to walk.”

Loki steadied himself and glared at them. If Tony and Tarrin thought they could out-wait him they were very much mistaken. When it came to stubbornness, Loki would not be defeated.

As though reading his mind, Tony said, “What if our mount is particularly stubborn?”

"We encourage him." With a flick of his wrist, Tarrin cracked the whip next to Loki’s ear, and the prince startled forward another few paces.

Tarrin smiled his easy smile, once again swirling the whip behind Loki’s back, creating an open space in front of him and closing the space behind him. His outstretched hand pointed the way to go. Loki wanted to move. His shoulders itched from the whip passing so close behind him, and the elevating tension Tarrin was building could be so easily resolved if he walked.

Loki stamped his booted feet again. The constriction of the cage he wore was making itself felt as his situation seeped into his mind and started to percolate there. They were deep in the forest, well hidden from all eyes. There were two of them and only one of him, and he was bound and leashed. The two of them could do anything they wanted to him. They could lose patience with this game, and decide to whip him bloody instead. They could tie the lead line to a tree and leave him there to learn some manners. They could make him crawl on all fours like a beast. They could take his clothing away and make him do this nude. There were so many ways Loki could be used for the enjoyment of his two concubines, and if he did not cooperate they would make him wish that he had.

Loki walked.

“There you go, beauty, there you go.”

Tarrin’s whip kept pace, a nice, steady walk, taking Loki in a broad circle, always moving into the open space ahead as the space behind him was closed. It was easy to walk, and Loki could see why the horses did it, despite being more powerful than their handler. His movement released the tension that Tarrin created, keeping the energy in balance. Loki did not object to being called ‘beauty’, either.

Tarrin let the line out and flicked his whip at an angle, encouraging Loki to move out, walking him on a longer path. Loki kept to the same pace but he felt the tension increase - the whip was closer and Tarrin held his lead-hand higher.

“Time to trot, beauty. Pick up those feet.”

Loki glared at them again. He may indulge this game but he certainly was not going to run for their amusement. He stopped instead, planting his feet and doing his best to ignore the tension ramping up again.

Tony was watching him with dark eyes. He was allowing Tarrin to treat him like this, to train him on a line like a beast. Whether Loki liked it or not was irrelevant. He would be made to do it, because it pleased his lover to see it.

“We’re patient," Tarrin said, still making the figure eight pattern with his whip. “Sometimes our mount doesn’t understand what he needs to do.”

“I understand perfectly well,” Loki snapped. As soon as he spoke, he knew it was a mistake because Tony had been waiting for it. It was the work of a moment before Loki had the bit in his teeth. The straps of the bridle wrapped his head and pulled the bit to the back of his mouth so he could not fully close his mouth.

Loki closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and enjoying the shiver that ran down his spine. Tony wanted him silent, then. He wanted him bound and leashed and silenced, performing tricks with a whip at his back. Loki moaned behind the bit and pressed his thighs together, trying to get some kind of sensation on his poor, long-neglected cock.

It was not to be.

The cage would not come off except by Tony’s command, and now Loki could not even speak to beg. His only surprise was that neither of them had put a plug in him. He had no doubt how this game would end. If his lovers were not preparing him, that meant they wanted him tight and they would take him that way. He moaned again, his hips twisting, getting overheated in his clothes.

“We don’t punish our beauty with the whip. We merely encourage movement.” Tarrin's tone was as calm and even as ever, just as he spoke to his horses, just as he spoke to Loki when he took him.

He snapped the whip next to Loki’s ear again, surprising him into a walk. Loki was too dizzy and aroused to stop again. Even though he knew he was supposed to run, his feet could not find the pace. His teeth clamped into the bit, his mind hazing over. His hair brushed his neck, swinging from side to side as he walked, an unfamiliar sensation on top of everything else that was happening. Loki could hear voices. Tarrin was talking to Tony again, explaining something, but Loki could not concentrate to understand it.

He was breathless, panting around the bit. The cage on his cock was torment, and when he felt a stinging snap on his hip he did not even know what it was. He startled and saw Tarrin’s lead-hand from the corner of his eye, urging him forward. Before he knew it, his walk turned into a long stride and then he was running, the whip keeping pace, closing the space behind him, moving him into the open space ahead. He ran, the lead-line guiding him, approving voices floating over his head, telling him he was good, that he was perfect, calling him beauty over and over.

They did not release Loki from his bondage when they took him. He was tired, sweaty and shaking, drooling from the bit and squirming from the cage when Tony led him under the canopy. Tony fed him sips of water and wiped his face while Tarrin knelt to remove his boots and pants. Loki was bare underneath, just as Tony liked him, and he was as compliant as any broken-in mount as they sat him on Tarrin’s well lubricated cock, easing him down on it as the stablehand lay on his back on the furs and pillows. When he was impaled, stretched and aching, Tony sat behind him, bent him forward and started to push in as well. Loki moaned and rocked helplessly, his arms still pinned behind his back, the bit clamped in his teeth. Both of them hooked their fingers in his harness, holding him in place. They pleasured themselves, selfish and greedy, sliding in and out of his body, taking turns and then taking him together. Everything was too intense, the sensations doubled, tripled, increased exponentially, and there was nothing Loki could do but let it happen, let them use him as they pleased. His trembling body belonged to his beloved and his beloved chose to share him, chose to stuff him fuller than he had ever been, chose to tell him, without words and without doubt, that Tony and Tarrin were not his concubines, but Loki was theirs. He was a prince of the golden realm and he was the adored concubine of a mortal and a stablehand.

Loki floated in his lovers' arms, timeless. All he could hear was beauty, beauty, beauty, and all he could feel was love.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still on unofficial writing hiatus, but I like to dabble here and there, so have another chapter of Tony, Loki and Tarrin trying to figure out their relationship. Hope you're all doing well, and happy late valentines day to you all!

It was warm when Loki opened his eyes. He was lying on soft furs, two warm bodies pressed close to him on either side. The bit was gone from his mouth, the harness was gone from his chest, and the remnants of his clothes were gone too. He was bare on the furs, wrapped in his lovers’ embrace, and there was nowhere he would rather be. A smile floated to his lips, and he closed his eyes again, perfectly content, and secure.

It was night and a fire burned nearby, fragrant smoke drifting on the light breeze. Tony and Tarrin were talking in low voices, words that Loki didn’t yet understand, but he didn’t mind. The arms that circled him were strong and gentle, and the skin that warmed his own was comforting and familiar.

“Hey, you awake? I can see you smiling.”

Loki fought to keep his face still, but failed - he could not stop the joyful curl of his lips. This peaceful, quiet time was the opposite of the intensity of pleasure and pain of the past hours. It was the opposite of his fast fall into inherent bliss. This was a slow, calm rise. This was the ground coming up to meet his feet, his senses seeping upwards through his nerves and bones and finding their proper homes in his mind.

Tony was a master of both the fast fall and the slow rise. Loki did not know which he craved more. He loved them both as they happened, and missed them when they were gone.

“Yeah, you’re awake. Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

Loki managed a nod.

Tarrin detached himself from where he lay behind Loki, carefully pulling the fur up so he didn’t leave a cold spot on his skin. Loki cracked his eyes open to watch their stablehand walk to the fire, sure that Tony was watching him too. Tarrin was nude, and he was beautifully shameless in the light of the low fire, the glory of the stars above casting gleaming highlights on his tawny skin.

“I like him,” Loki mumbled into Tony’s shoulder.

Tony kissed his head and smoothed Loki's hair back from his face. He found the short lock of hair he had cut weeks ago and twined it in his fingers. Loki smiled at the unspoken reminder of his transgression with the market trader. Tony had promised him then that if he needed to, he would find him another lover to keep him satisfied. And he had indeed done it, finding Tarrin the very next day. Tony never lied to him, and he never failed to deliver on his promises. But with Tarrin, Tony had delivered more than either of them had ever expected.

“I like him too.”

Tarrin returned from the fire and sat close by Loki’s side. They rearranged themselves until Loki was half sitting, half lying, Tony sitting behind him, arms wrapped around his middle.

Tarrin unwrapped the hot bundle he had taken from the fire - a small package of vegetables wrapped in leaves.

“Next time, we should spend an hour fishing first,” he said apologetically, but Loki did not care. He was suddenly ravenous, and Tarrin fed him steamed mushrooms and soft bites of baked potato, alternating the food with sips of cold, clear water.

After he had eaten, Loki rested in Tony's arms. It was utter bliss, to be sore and aching from hard use, and to be so tenderly cared for. Loki would let these two do whatever they wanted to him if they would do this for him after. They could treat him as cruelly as they desired. They could bind him and beat him, use him as their plaything, make him weep from their torments. Loki would not deny them, because their pleasure was his pleasure too. That was the beautiful, reckless heart of it. The fast fall and the slow rise were both the same mobius side of the coin. They were the endless, circular blade of the dagger, piercing Loki's heart over and over.

“Kiss me."

Loki laughed, delighted, as they both immediately did as he demanded. Tarrin kissed his fingertips and his palms, Tony kissed his brow and his lips, both of them giving him the adoration that he needed, showing him that their care for him was undiminished by their harsh use. They rebalanced the scale. With each kiss, they brought the ground back up beneath him and planted his feet on it as firmly they planted their lips on his skin.

***

The next morning was bright and cold. The fire was out, and their breath hung in the air as they all scrambled for their clothes, grumbling to leave their cozy nest of furs. Tarrin checked on the horses and decided to do some fishing, his rod and line produced from Loki’s dimensional pocket. Tony built up the fire with dry wood and made tea for Loki and Tarrin, coffee for himself. Neither of the Asgardians had a taste for the dark, bitter drink, but Tony was adamant that it was a gift from the gods. He made an entire pot for himself, happy not to have to share.

Loki sat by the fire, legs folded, cup in hand. He had a faraway look in his eyes, his gaze seeing through and beyond the clearing and the lake. As was usual for him, the intensity of the prior night had cleared his mind and settled his thoughts.

“When we return to the palace, I will ask Odin to let you take the trials.”

“Do you think this is the right time?” Tony was surprised. He usually deferred to Loki on matters regarding his family, and the Allfather in particular, but it seemed too soon to raise that question.

“I do not think there will be a right time,” Loki confessed. “But if we wait much longer it will be too hard to leave if Odin refuses to give you a chance to prove yourself.”

They both looked at Tarrin where he stood on a flat rock overhanging the water, watching the graceful arc of his arm as he cast his line.

“We could ask him to come with us,” Tony suggested.

Loki shook his head. “We should not,” he said. “Tarrin has a future here, he is respected in the stables, and well-liked. He could marry, have children one day. I could not ask him to give that up.”

Tony sipped his drink, steam floating around his thoughtful face. “That’s up to him, isn’t it?”

Loki ground his teeth. Tony did not understand, no matter how much Loki had explained it. He tried again.

“If Odin denies me, you know what I will do, Tony. It is a great crime to defy the Allfather's decision, and an even greater crime to steal from Idunn's orchard. We would be fugitives! If we were found your life would be forfeit and mine would be...unpleasant. If Tarrin came with us he would be accused of the same crime and would risk the same fate. We have no other choice, but he does. He has a future here that we do not.”

Tony shifted and carefully considered his words before he replied. “You could have a future here too, Loki.” He could not say anything more before Loki interrupted him, scowling.

“Do not suggest I let you die a mortal death in a mere few score of years, Tony, because I will not!  _ I will not! _ I will not face the centuries alone.”

Tony gestured to the lake. “You have Tarrin now...”

Loki grabbed his jaw and made Tony face him, his green eyes narrowed.

“Do not,” he said, his face flushed with emotion. “Do not think you are replaceable. I care for Tarrin, but Tony,  _ you  _ have my heart! I will not be without you. If Odin refuses me, we will find our own way in the universe. You may have your way in all else, but I will have my way in this. Do not deny me.”

Tony kissed him hard, his hands twisting in the cloth of Loki's shirt, holding him close.

“I would never deny you, Loki. If that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do. As long as you are sure about giving up so much.”

Loki huffed, reassured by Tony's response, his temper cooling. “It is easy to give up the gilded cage of the golden realm.” He smiled and lowered his voice. “I much prefer  _ your  _ cage, my love.”

Tony grinned at him. He walked his fingers up Loki's thigh and put his hand on his crotch, happy to change the subject. The metal cage was hard under his palm, the enchanted lock keyed to open only at his command.

“You like to be locked up much more than I thought you would.”

Loki leaned back on his elbows and let his knees drift apart, encouraging Tony to touch him as he pleased.

“You thought I would not like it, but I can’t help but notice you did it to me anyway.”

Tony squeezed his hand, rolling Loki’s balls in his fingers, making his breath catch his chest.

“That’s right,” he said, not caring to explain himself. Loki’s body was Tony's domain, unquestioningly. What Loki may or may not do, how he was to be used, what restraints or decorations he was to wear - all were Tony’s decisions, and Loki yielded all to him.

His state of enforced frustration made heat prickle down Loki’s spine, and his hips twitched under Tony's hand. Even during the debauchery of the prior night, he had not been released. Tony had decided that the pleasure of his lovers was pleasure enough for Loki, and so the cage had remained locked in place.

Although he knew it was futile, Loki could not help trying to negotiate.

“We have been here for weeks, Tony. Do you truly intend to keep me in this state for as long as we are on Asgard?”

“Yep. You said it yourself - if you get to like it here, you won’t want to leave."

“Leave?” Tarrin had walked up on silent feet, three fat fish pierced on a skewer. “You are leaving Asgard?”

Loki and Tony exchanged an anxious glance. They trusted Tarrin, but this knowledge could cause a great deal of trouble for him. If he were questioned after they were gone, he would not be able to hide the truth of their relationship.

Cautiously, Loki explained their dilemma. Tony was mortal, and his lifespan was agonizingly short compared to theirs. Loki could heal him and extend his life by magic, but only the golden apples of Idunn's orchard could give Tony the centuries that Loki needed him to have.

"I will ask Odin to let Tony prove himself in the trials and win an apple in fair combat, but I doubt that he will allow it. The Allfather has plans for me and he will not risk an unexpected victory. No doubt he already has some off-world noble lined up for me to wed a few decades from now, when he believes I will be over this infatuation with my human pet."

The words were bitter on Loki's tongue, but he knew he spoke the truth.

"If Odin denies Tony the trials, I will steal one of Idunn's apples and we will have to flee Asgard. We will not be able to return until Thor is crowned king. The life of a fugitive thief is not one I would ask you to share, Tarrin. The risk is too great, and you have much to lose."

“I see.” Tarrin said nothing else, his face turned away from the other two.

Loki opened his mouth to try to explain further, but Tarrin cut him off.

“No, I understand.” Tarrin did not look at either of them. “I understand. I was mistaken to think... It is nothing. Excuse me.”

“Tarrin…”

“I will see to the horses.”

Tarrin got up abruptly and strode over to the other end of the clearing. The horses, that Tarrin had already checked on that morning, raised their great heads at his approach. They pulled on their lines and stamped their hooves, unsettled at the taste of Tarrin’s mood.

“Well, shit.”

Loki’s wretched twist of guilt and regret was echoed on Tony’s face. They had been wrapped up in their own cares, neither of them had considered what their plans would mean to their new companion.

“I will speak to him.”

Loki followed Tarrin to where he was brushing the horses, his back tight and stiff, his movements jerky and unsettling the animals.

“Tarrin.”

Tarrin turned with a short bow, the formality as uncharacteristic as it was unwelcome.

“Yes, my prince.”

“Tarrin, will you come back to the fire and speak to us?”

“I am sure there is nothing more to discuss, my prince. If you will excuse me, I have work to do.”

Loki twined his fingers together. The easy intimacy of their night had been stripped away by his careless words, and he did not know how to fix it.

“Please do not be angry with Tony. He wanted to ask you to come. I thought that you have a future here and you would not want to leave.”

Tarrin snorted, turned his back, and went back to brushing out his horse, a friendly mare he called  _ Astania.  _ There was a long silence, but Loki could see the unspoken words boiling up in Tarrin’s heart. He waited, sure that they would not remain inside for long. A dozen brisk strokes with the brush later, Tarrin spoke in a low voice.

“I thought you liked me. That is all. Not just Tony, you as well. I thought both of you liked me. But you have decided to leave me behind.”

Loki heart cracked a little, and he opened his mouth to respond but Tarrin was not finished. He rested his palm on Astania’s neck, letting the horse soothe him.

“I know it was foolish to think such a thing. You are a prince, and I am nothing but a servant. But you did not treat me as a servant when we were together and I thought -” Tarrin paused, took a long breath, and let it out slowly, the slight shake of his shoulders the only sign of his emotion. “- it matters not what I thought. I understand now. You need not be concerned, my prince, I will not betray you. But I ask that you do not use me for any more of your games.”

“We were not using you,” Loki protested, but guilt ate at his belly.

Tarrin turned back around, brandishing the brush at Loki, a glint of anger in his eyes. “Were you not? You did not even show me your true face the first time you came to me. Would you have confessed if I had not said that I knew you? Or would have had your fun with me and never looked back?”

Loki hung his head. Tarrin was right - he and Tony had treated him poorly. They had involved him in their affections without thinking of his heart, and the heart of a stablehand was just as open and vulnerable as that of a prince. Loki would not do him the insult of denying it to his face.

“We were wrong to do that,” he admitted. “Tarrin, I am sorry. I am so sorry. Will you please come back to the fire? We can work this out.”

Tarrin squeezed the brush in his hand, the wood creaking in his strong grip. Loki did not breathe until he nodded, dropped the brush on the ground and walked back to the fire.

It was time to talk.


End file.
